Underage drinking crackdown under way

By STEVE KADEL Western News Reporter

Law enforcement officials in Lincoln County have begun cracking down on underage drinkers.

Twenty citations for Minor in Possession of alcohol were issued during the past six weeks, according to a local substance abuse counselor. That compares with 81 violations in the county during all of 2004.

Ralph Stever of Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic said the new emphasis results from a conference on underage drinking that officers attended recently in Arizona. It's part of what Stever hopes will be a major shift in attitude toward teen drinkers here.

"Underage drinking is the elephant in the living room nationally and especially in Lincoln County," he said. "For some reason Lincoln County is above the national average."

Stever spoke Wednesday during the Libby Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting. He also showed a video outlining what other communities have done to reduce the problem.

He emphasized that consequences, such as enforcing existing laws, won't solve the situation by itself. Changing an informal tolerance of youthful drinkers might be the biggest challenge of all.

"The police are going to do their part, but the community needs to be involved," Stever said. "The community has to take a sense of responsibility."

Youngsters are bombarded by advertising images that portray drinking as casual and normal, he added. In addition, marketing of new specialty drinks that taste sweet rather than alcoholic have boosted the percentage of girls who are drinking, Stever said.

Teens are at a critical stage of brain development, he said, and alcohol can significantly affect health of the frontal lobe.

The video provided startling statistics. Every day in the U.S., about 7,000 children under the age of 16 take their first drink, it noted. Proliferation of alcohol sales at gas stations and even drive-up windows at liquor stores has fostered "a user-friendly environment" about alcohol use, according to the video.

It also made the point that alcohol kills more teenagers each year than all the illegal drugs combined. Stever said alcohol use often leads to experimentation with drugs.

"In Troy, any drug is just a phone call away," he said.

Meanwhile, Stever believes it's important to give children alternatives to drugs and alcohol. A disc golf course is being built in Troy at the suggestion of teenagers there. A climbing wall at Morrison Elementary School also is in the works.

Positive reinforcement is important, too. Stever said other communities have done such things as giving discounts to restaurants to those who stay off drugs and alcohol.

Locally, plans are under way for Libby High School students who stay drug- and alcohol-free to win prizes. A 1989 Camaro, impounded by local police, is being restored as the top prize to be awarded next spring. A laptop computer and other items also are available as incentives.

"It's a beginning to have a reward system for kids who make better decisions," Stever said. "Most of our kids are doing the right thing. We need to reward them."

He complimented the Libby Kiwanis for organizing only alcohol-free events. Adults need to set an example for youngsters if community attitudes are going to change, Stever said.

"This isn't going to happen tomorrow," he said. "I view it as a 20-year plan."